


Day One Hundred Thirty-Eight || Hopelessly Romantic

by 365daysofsasuhina



Series: 365 Days of SasuHina 2019 [138]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-07 20:16:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18880474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/365daysofsasuhina/pseuds/365daysofsasuhina
Summary: Too timid to be bold, Hinata's only ever contented herself with daydreams of romance. But what happens when reality comes crashing down?





	Day One Hundred Thirty-Eight || Hopelessly Romantic

At first glance, Hinata has never seemed much like the other girls. Those like Ino and Sakura of her year have always been so brazen, loud, forward...but little Hinata is the quiet wallflower. While they have little more to talk about than the latest gossip about boys, Hinata never seems to partake.

This would lead some to assume that she’s simply never had any interest in such topics. Too shy, too reserved to fall to fawning over whatever pretty boy her school is on about that week.

But they’d be dead wrong.

Hinata, as it turns out...is hopelessly romantic. Just...in ways variant from her classmates. While they giggle and swoon, offer gifts and confessions, she’s always been a quiet thinker of her crush.

And what a crush it’s been, ever since she was small: Naruto. A class clown when they were young. Always causing trouble, making a ruckus, picking scraps with the other boys. But where most saw disruption and delinquency, she saw something else.

Confidence. Bravery. Freedom.

Naruto never shied from who or what he was. Never let words or actions get to him...but also fought against whatever he found unjust. Sure, most would call him a hooligan for such actions, but secretly - silently - Hinata has always admired him for it.

She wishes she could be so bold, so striking.

...but it’s just not her nature.

So, instead, she quietly reminisces about what she hopes for, but realizes will likely never be. Now that they’re in high school, their growth spurts slowing, Naruto’s become a stocky jock: beloved for his skills in all things physical. Football, basketball, baseball...he plays them all. Even those like Sakura - who had rejected him in the past - can’t help but admit...he’s grown into himself. Sure, he’s still a goofball. Still gets into scrapes. But he’s not the scrawny little anklebiter he was then.

Now...now he’s one of those boys the girls all gossip about.

That just leaves Hinata to her daydreams and drawing of hearts along the margins of her notebooks.

What would she give to be so brave...as to tell him how she feels. How she’s  _ felt _ for so long…!

But Naruto has eyes for Sakura: captain of the volleyball team, cheerleaders, and the track and field team. Athletic, slim, strong...and pretty.

Nothing like Hinata. She’s been on the volleyball team all through high school, but she’s still short. Still soft. She could never dare to wear those short skirts, or do those fancy drills. And goodness knows she’s not a runner or a jumper.

There’s nothing about her Naruto will ever notice.

Nothing at all.

Elbow atop her desk and chin cradled in a palm, a pencil absentmindedly doodles as their last class of the day slowly drifts by. Spring break is coming up soon, and as usual, she has no plans. Several of her classmates are heading to the coast, but...she doesn’t want to go. Being seen in a bathing suit would leave her mortified - between her curvy build and her prudish nature, she’d rather just...stay home.

But that doesn’t mean a few people haven’t tried convincing her.

“Aw, c’mon! It’ll be fun!”

“We’re gonna have big bonfires every night!”

“And we can play volleyball in the sand! Real sand!”

“And watch all the boys in their suits…!”

She’d given a sheepish smile at the girls, insisting she had too much to do at home to spend the whole week off out of town.

Despite all her daydreaming, it wasn’t going to play out like she’d pictured in her mind: meeting Naruto under the moon on the beach. Him asking what she’s doing out so late. Her replying her mind’s restless. They stroll along, talk...and then he -

“What about you, Sasuke? You two are the only two sticks in the mud!” Sakura cuts in, hands on her hips.

“My brother’s coming home from college.”

“Ugh,  _ so _ ? He’ll also be back all Summer, right? You can see him then - come  _ onnn _ . It’s just a week!”

The Uchiha just scowls. “So you can pester me for an extra seven days when I’d normally be free of you?”

“Hey, I’ve got other things to do!”

“More like other  _ people _ ,” he mutters under his breath.

“You both need to get  _ out _ and do something fun! Hinata, you’re always giving excuses when we try to bring you somewhere!” Sakura insists.

“Yeah, you too, Sasuke!” Naruto, sitting nearby, gives his friend a friendly punch in the shoulder. “You can get some sun on that pasty skin, eh?”

Glaring half-heartedly and rubbing his arm, Sasuke sighs curtly. “Ever think those excuses were a hint?”

“Sakura n’ I’ll  _ drag _ you guys there!”

“How inviting.”

“Okay, f-fine!” Hinata suddenly blurts, tired of the back and forth. “I’ll...I’ll go!”

Everyone stares...then looks to Sasuke.

Looking disappointed she gave in, he groans. “...fine.”

She’s going to regret this...isn’t she?

Several people decide to carpool, meeting at the school parking lot the Saturday break begins. Somehow, Hiashi agrees to let Hinata go. Muttering something about “senior year” and “practically an adult”, he grants her leave without any fuss.

...a miracle, really.

All packed, Hinata has Neji drive her down, agreeing to ride with most of the girls in Sakura’s car. It’s a few hours’ drive to the beach and hotel they’ll be staying at. Thankfully, she ends up in a rear window seat, headphones on and mostly just dozing as they drive.

When they arrive, she has to admit...part of her is glad to be here. The weather is perfect, sunlight glittering across the ocean as it shifts and shimmers.

They all check in, Hinata in a room with Ino and Sakura. Despite the day being half over, they insist on dressing down to suits and hitting the water.

Hinata...disagrees.

“What?! You’ve gotta come!”

“I...I don’t have a suit…”

“How could you not bring a  _ suit _ to the  _ beach _ ?!”

She doesn’t have a reason, just fiddling her fingers.

The rosette rolls her eyes. “Ugh, fine...at least come walk in the sand or something?”

“...okay.”

Most of their class has the same idea, most donning shorts, bikinis, or one-pieces as they wade into the water. A few linger on towels under umbrellas, some tanning in the afternoon sun.

Hinata tucks under a parasol, knees to her chest as she watches them. She’s donned a pair of shorts and a tanktop under a net-like long sleeve overshirt. Even that feels too exposing. Arms folded atop her legs, her chin rests on a forearm, eyes flickering over the beach.

Right in the center, Naruto’s tossing Sakura into the water with a squeal, the pair of them breaking into a water fight that ends with him scooping her back up.

And then, they’re...kissing…

The bottom of Hinata’s stomach drops like a cut elevator. A strange numbness seems to overtake her body.

...she knew. She knew, and yet she’d hoped against hope…!

On a strange autopilot, she abandons her seat and starts walking, turning her back on the sun and sand.

Nearby, dark eyes glance to watch her go.

The hotel grounds also have pools, gardens, and recreation areas. Hinata just...wanders among them, not sure what she feels. What she  _ should _ feel. All her daydreams are officially a moot point...not that she ever truly believed them in the first place. Still...the sting of a broken heart doesn’t follow logic.

That’s the flaw.

Eventually she tucks herself atop a bench in a shady garden of trees and flowers, framed out by a little gazebo.

...she wants to just...go home. But her ride isn’t about to humor her. And she can’t call on Neji and ruin his evening to come get her.

Expression slowly crumbling, she tucks into her knees, shaking quietly.

“...here.”

Looking up with a gasp, her tear-stained face beholds none other than Sasuke. A hand extends a cold bottle of lemonade, his expression unreadable.

Immediately mortified at being seen like this, Hinata does her best to wipe at her eyes. “I...I-I’m f-fine…”

“You should keep hydrated. The heat’s deceptive.”

He nudges her knee with the bottle, not giving in until she takes it. Then he just...plops himself beside her, not reacting as she shimmies nervously away.

“W...what do you want?”

“Nothing. Just checking on you. Saw you get up and leave, you looked upset. Not hard to guess why.”

Her brow furrows.

“...everyone knows, Hinata. It’s...been pretty obvious.”

...oh. Looking to her knees, Hinata considers her bottle before popping it open and sipping sullenly.

“...for what it’s worth...I’m sorry.”

‘It’s n-not your fault.”

“No, but it still fucking sucks.”

She shoots him a look at his language, but he ignores it.

“Look...I’m not an expert at this stuff. But...you can do better. Naruto’s a nice guy, sure. But he’s a meathead. You’re a lot brainier than he is. You shouldn’t settle on someone who can’t even keep up with you.”

“That d-doesn’t matter to me. I don’t care if a person is...is smart or not. He’s kind, and...brave.” She tucks into herself, then whispers, “...I wish I was like him.”

“Naruto’s ninety percent bravado, Hinata. He adapted it. Had to. What you see isn’t all he is.”

“I k-know that. No one is. But…”

“I get it. I do. I used to be jealous of how easily he shrugged things off.” Leaning forward, Sasuke braces forearms atop his knees, watching the sun set over the distant water. “...but things  _ do _ get to him. He just pretends they don’t. You can fake it til you make it...but until then? It still hurts. We all just...deal with it differently.” He gives her a glance. “...just like now. You’ll deal with it in time. For now, though...it hurts.”

Side eyeing him, Hinata asks, “...have you ever...ever had someone do this to you…?”

“No. Never liked anyone like that. Never really been my...style.”

“...then how do you know what it’s like?”

“I don’t. Not from personal experience. But I can still observe. I’ve seen Sakura break Naruto’s heart more times than I can count. And now he’s got what he wants. Or...what he thinks he wants.”

Hinata can’t help but find herself a little jealous. He’s never liked anyone? Never been consumed by daydreams and wishing and wondering? Never had that ripped out from under him?

...she finds it a little hard to believe.

“...why did you  _ r-really _ come out here?”

“I told you why.”

“But why would you care? We’re...we’re not friends.”

“...no. But we could be. You and I have our similarities. Maybe that means we’d make okay friends.”

Her brow still furrows. “...I’m fine, Sasuke. You...you can go back now. I just...need some time alone.”

“You sure?”

Well…

“I’ve got about as much reason to go back as you do. I’d rather not see... _ that _ ,” Sasuke replies. “So to be perfectly honest, here’s just fine with me. If...you don’t mind the company.”

“...that’s fine.”

They linger in their postures as the sun goes down, Hinata still sipping her lemonade. She feels like she should be crying more, but...she can’t bring herself to do it in front of Sasuke. That would be...weird.

Instead, she just feels a strange numbness. How is she supposed to go spend the evening and night in the same room as Sakura, knowing she’s taken all her hopes and dreams?

Wore out, she heave a sigh and just...collapses her shoulder against Sasuke’s.

He gives her a glance...but doesn’t object.

Maybe they’ll just...stay out here a little longer.

**Author's Note:**

> This...got a lot longer than usual, and honestly it could have been a lot longer still, but...it's late, as usual, lol
> 
> Poor Hinata, losing what she's been hoping for. But, Sasuke has a point...maybe Naruto's not all Hinata's built him up to be. Daydreams are just that, after all: dreams. Rarely based in reality.
> 
> ...I'd say more but honestly my mind is mush - time for bed! Thanks for reading~


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